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Introduction
Why choose this course?
Key features
This course is recognised by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK's screen-based industries, and carries the ScreenSkills Select quality-mark which indicates courses best suited to prepare students for a career in the screen industries.
Our Game Art BA course is an Unreal Academic Partner, a program which recognises exemplary universities that have already integrated Unreal Engine into their classes and labs.
For the duration of their studies, Game Art students have a free Pro account with ArtStation, the leading platform for game artists to showcase their portfolios, stay inspired and connect with new opportunities for success. This gives our students access to ArtStation Learning, which hosts courses made by our industry peers and is a great tool for further study.
Exhibit your work at the week-long DMU Degree Show, one of Leicester’s biggest art and design shows, where final-year students have the chance to meet talent scouts and win industry prizes.
Access one-to-one support from the Leicester Media School Drawing Centre to perfect your drawing skills and meet like-minded artists.
Benefit from a range of specialist guest lectures, including professional 3D artists, producers, art directors and studio heads.
Enhance your practical and professional skills with a range of dedicated work placements. Past students have landed positions with Codemasters, Crytek, Ubisoft and the BBC.
Enjoy an international experience with DMU Global. Game Art students have visited San Francisco for the renowned Game Developers Conference, participated in the Berlin Games Festival and taken part in the GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong.
Benefit from Education 2030, where a simplified ‘block learning’ timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback and enjoy a better study-life balance.
Overview
Combining creativity and knowledge of specialist technology, coupled with strong industry links, you will graduate with the skills required for roles as an environment artist, character artist, lead artist, technical artist or director.
This specialist art degree, accredited by ScreenSkills, will help you to master high-level 3D modelling skills, as well as develop your existing 2D traditional art skills, through modules including Game Production, Digital Art Practice and Traditional Art Practice. Showcase your talent and creativity by producing an industry-ready portfolio, with support from your academic and technical supervisors.
Our excellent facilities include a dedicated games studio with a range of industry-standard software and high-spec PCs and consoles for producing 3D game content, a drawing studio and a suite of Cintiq graphics tablets. We also have VR development facilities to support students who wish to work in visualisation and virtual reality.
Our vibrant studio culture means you will always be at the forefront of the latest industry trends and techniques. You will also have the opportunity to take part in national and international creative events and challenges such as The Rookies and Search for a Star.
Recent graduates are working for companies such as Ubisoft, BMW, NaturalMotion, Playground Games, Codemasters, Dambusters Studios, Lockwood, Rockstar North and Jagex. Have a look at the amazing work of our recent graduates and alumni on: ArtStation - Game Art DMU.
Modules
Year one
• Block 1: Game Art Fundamentals 1
• Block 2: Game Art Fundamentals 2
• Block 3: Game Art Essentials 1
• Block 4: Game Art Essentials 2
Year two
• Block 1: Intermediate Game Art Principles 1
• Block 2: Intermediate Game Art Principles 2
• Block 3: Group Project: Pre-Production
• Block 4: Group Project: Production
Year three
• Block 1: Professional Practice 1
• Block 2: Professional Practice 2
• Block 3: Personal Project: Planning and Pre-Production
• Block 4: Personal Project: Production
Teaching and assignments
The course has a vibrant studio culture that encourages individuals to achieve their full potential. You will benefit from Education 2030 - DMU’s new way of delivering courses. Through block teaching, you will focus on one subject at a time instead of several at once.
Teaching and learning is primarily through practical workshops, seminars and lectures.
Assessment is through individual exercises, digital artefacts, digital sketchbooks, presentations and blog. You will produce your own portfolio of professional standard work, guided by artists from the game industry and the teaching team.
Accreditation
This course is industry recognised by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK's screen-based industries, and carries the ScreenSkills quality-mark which indicates courses best suited to prepare students for a career in the screen industries.
Entry Criteria
ENTRY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Home Office Share Code
For EU students only.
IF no Qualification
Please provide CV with at least 2 years of work experience, and employee reference letter.
Entry criteria
Normally 104 UCAS points from at least two A-levels or equivalent, with Art and Design at grade B or above or
Art and Design BTEC National Diploma/ Extended Diploma at DMM
Plus five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English or equivalent.
Alternative qualifications include:
Pass in the QAA accredited Access to HE Art and Design course with at least 15 level 3 credits in Art and Design at Distinction. English GCSE required as a separate qualification as equivalency is not accepted within the Access qualification. We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course or
International Baccalaureate: 26+ points including Art and Design at higher level grade 6 or
T Levels Merit or
Art and Design Foundation Diploma: Pass
Portfolio Required: You will also need a good portfolio according to the course guidelines as part of your application. Portfolio guidance for Game Art.
Interview Required: No.
Contextual offer
To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.
We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications
English language
If English is not your first language then an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent) is essential.
English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.
Assessment
ASSESSMENT METHODS
1. INTERNAL ENGLISH TEST if you don't have an English accredited certificate
2. Academic Interview
Career Opportunities
Graduate Careers
From Grand Theft Auto V to Star Citizen and Assassin’s Creed, our graduates make the games you play. Many have progressed to work as concept artists, character artists, lead artists, technical artists and directors, for leading companies such as Artificial Life, Rockstar North, SEGA, Sony and Ubisoft.
Game Art graduate Patrick Herbison is a vehicle artist at Codemasters, where he builds accurate 3D models of real-world cars for games such as Dirt Rally 2, Grid, F1 and Forza Horizon 4.
He said: “The industry links on the course keep it up-to-date and relevant, as well as providing a forum for feedback from people working in the industry. I believe this helped me to secure a job at Codemasters before I had even finished the course.”
DMU Global
Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons, helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.
Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as international exchanges.
Game Art students have visited New York’s Intrepid Museum to help inspire and bring their game designs to life.
Placements
During this course you will have the option to complete a paid placement year, an invaluable opportunity to put the skills developed during your degree into practice. This insight into the professional world will build on your knowledge in a real-world setting, preparing you to progress onto your chosen career.
Our Game Art students have recently secured placements at companies such as EA Games, Rare Limited and BMW.
Our Careers Team can help to hone your professional skills with mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and an assigned personal tutor will support you throughout your placement.
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